The present invention concerns a catalyst system for alkylating alkyl aromatics, e.g. for alkylating toluene, a procedure for preparing the catalyst system, and a procedure for carrying out the alkylation of the alkyl aromatics, i.e. alkylating toluene.
Alkaline metal catalysts well-suited for side-chain alkylation of alkyl aromatics with olefins are known in the art, in which the metallic sodium or potassium has been dispersed onto the surface of an inorganic or graphite carrier. For instance, in the Neste Finnish Patent Application No. 865,362, a catalyst system is disclosed which contains metallic sodium on a K.sub.2 CO.sub.3 carrier. A catalyst is known from British Patent No. 1,269,280, which is produced by dispersing sodium and/or lithium on a nonaqueous potassium compound. Additionally, reference is made to the Neste Finnish Patent Application No. 865,363, in which the catalyst system used contains metallic sodium dispersed thermally from a sodium-containing compound onto a surface of a solid K.sub.2 CO.sub.3.
However, drawbacks of such catalysts include cumbersome manufacturing and processing of the catalysts, a relatively low activity at high temperatures, and rapid decrease of activity as a consequence of the catalysts becoming tarred and coked.